Sierra Leone is turning to private investment and sector reforms to address its deepening water crisis, Finance Minister Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura said, outlining an ambitious plan to expand access and boost economic growth.
Speaking at the “Water Forward: Driving Jobs and Prosperity” event on the sidelines of the IMF World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., Bangura described the country’s water situation as a “compelling development paradox,” noting that despite abundant natural water resources, access to safe and reliable supply remains critically low.
“Just 10 percent have access to safely managed water, 25 percent still practice open defecation, and only 12 percent benefit from basic hygiene,” he said, warning that inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene services continue to cost lives, undermine productivity and constrain long-term economic development.
Bangura framed water security as central to Sierra Leone’s development strategy, linking national priorities to the broader Water Forward initiative launched during the Spring Meetings.
The initiative aims to extend water security to more than one billion people globally by 2030, positioning the sector not only as a social necessity but also as a driver of jobs, investment and economic transformation.
For Sierra Leone, this ambition is anchored in a US$1 billion national water compact designed to overhaul the sector through reforms, improved governance and sustainable financing.
Bangura said the compact would focus on strengthening public utilities, enhancing efficiency in service delivery and ensuring equitable access to water across the country.
“We believe this will promote utility reforms, improve governance and ensure real access to water by 2030,” he said.
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A central pillar of the strategy is the mobilisation of private capital, which the government sees as critical to bridging the significant financing gap in the sector.
Bangura said Sierra Leone would work with the World Bank Group and other development partners to attract private investment and expand participation in water infrastructure and service delivery.
He stressed that reforms aimed at improving transparency, regulation and institutional capacity would be key to unlocking investor confidence.
The discussions also highlighted a growing emphasis on integrating health considerations into water infrastructure projects, including measures to address vector-borne diseases through environmental and social safeguards.
Across the panel, African leaders underscored the economic urgency of water security and its direct link to growth, employment and human development.
Prime Minister Judith Tulukwa Suminwa of the Democratic Republic of Congo said water should be seen as central to global transformation, citing her country’s US$20 billion programme aimed at achieving 60% access to potable water by 2035.
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“This means more jobs, more productive economies and transformed local economies,” she said.
In Senegal, Finance Minister Cheikh Diba said water insecurity is costing the economy more than 10% of gross domestic product, highlighting both the economic and social toll.
“Each day without potable water, a little girl can’t go to school, a farmer won’t be able to produce crops, and hospitals won’t be able to care for patients,” he said.
Meanwhile, John Mbadi Ng’ongo of Kenya described water scarcity as a growing macroeconomic risk, driven by climate change and rising demand.
He said Kenya has mobilised about US$3 billion through its National Infrastructure Fund to attract private investment into water and other priority sectors.
The Water Forward initiative places strong emphasis on country-led approaches, with 14 nations — including Sierra Leone — launching national compacts to move away from fragmented, project-based interventions toward coordinated, large-scale strategies.
These compacts are designed to align policy reforms, strengthen institutions and secure long-term financing, while elevating water security to a central pillar of economic policy.
For Sierra Leone, officials say the challenge now lies in translating commitments into implementation, particularly in strengthening institutions and ensuring that private sector participation delivers tangible improvements in access and service quality.
Bangura said unlocking private capital and reforming governance structures would be decisive in closing the country’s water access gap.
He added that the goal is not only to improve living standards but also to transform water from a persistent constraint into a foundation for inclusive growth and human development.
The discussions in Washington reflected a broader global shift toward recognising water as an economic priority, with countries increasingly integrating it into investment strategies and long-term development planning.
